I’ve been doing a lot of electional astrology lately – more than usual. It’s a process that involves sitting for hours in front of Win*Star (I use Solar Fire for most things, but I prefer Win*Star’s rectification tool) toggling charts by an hour here, a minute there, trying to keep nasty planets out of the seventh house, a good relationship between rulers of the first and seventh houses, figuring out where to put that pesky Saturn/Uranus opposition, etc. It’s gotten to the point where I view every chart as an electional challenge. Yesterday I calculated the natal chart for a bride and when it came up on my screen I instinctively lunged for the “rectify” button, eager to move her natal Saturn out of the seventh house. Which I suspect she would have appreciated, actually.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could torque our natal charts to correct nasty placements? Though I’m sure my natal chart is chock full of necessary karmic lessons and so forth, if given the chance I’d definitely move Saturn out of my 2nd house, where it’s plagued me with overwhelming insecurity; and Mars/Pluto away from Midheaven, which I believe symbolizes my unique ability to anger people to the point of insanity. And I’d probably try to do something about that Virgo Midheaven, too; although I share this noble placement with the likes of Steven Forrest and Elvis, my Leo Sun occasionally bristles under Virgo’s insistence on humility and modesty.
Chart torquing is, I suppose, what we attempt to do when we relocate natal charts for different locations to see how we might like the astral weather there. (To calculate your chart for a location different from your birthplace, just enter your natal birth date and time, but the time zone and coordinates for the new city.) Occasionally, forces beyond our control relocate our charts for us, and we end up in places we never would have chosen on our own. In Southern California, where I’ve lived most of my life, I do have the Sun conjunct a rock-star Leo midheaven, Saturn in the 3rd instead of the 2nd, and Mars/Pluto a good distance from the Midheaven. But there are always trade-offs. I’ve also got a Scorpio ascendant instead of happy-go-lucky Sagittarius rising, the Moon in the brooding 8th instead of the cooperative 7th, and Neptune awfully close to the Ascendant (apparently rendering me invisible when I walk into a store and require service). Not sure I’d have chosen those. And in fact, I didn’t choose to come here. I have, however, chosen to stay for 37 years so far.
If you could torque your chart, how would you rearrange things?
